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Polugaevsky, Lev

classical era

Lev Polugaevsky (1934-1995) was a Soviet grandmaster and world-class opening theoretician who remained among the elite from the early 1960s through the late 1980s. He is best known for developing the ultra-sharp Polugaevsky Variation of the Najdorf Sicilian, which he analyzed with tireless devotion for decades and detailed in his classic book "Grandmaster Preparation."

Total Games

1892

Wins

678

Draws

956

Losses

255

35.8% wins50.5% draws13.5% losses

Most Played Openings

E15 - Queen's Indian Defense: Buerger Variation63E12 - Queen's Indian Defense61E11 - Bogo-Indian Defense40B96 - Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation39B85 - Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Main Line36A30 - English Opening: Wing Gambit36A17 - English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense36A07 - King's Indian Attack32E18 - Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Tiviakov Defense27A34 - English Opening: Symmetrical Variation27

Most Faced Opponents

Kortschnoj, Viktor65 gamesGeller, Efim P34 gamesTal, Mihail31 gamesKarpov, Anatoly29 gamesTimman, Jan H25 gamesLjubojevic, Ljubomir24 gamesPortisch, Lajos24 gamesTaimanov, Mark E22 gamesSmyslov, Vassily22 gamesSpassky, Boris V21 games

Featured Games

FCGFCG
1-0

Polugaevsky, Lev vs Beliavsky, Alexander G

Reggio Emilia9192

1992

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FCGFCG
0-1

Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ljubojevic, Ljubomir

Tilburg

1985

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FCGFCG
1-0

Karpov, Anatoly vs Polugaevsky, Lev

Biel

1990

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FCGFCG
1-0

Karpov, Anatoly vs Polugaevsky, Lev

Tilburg

1983

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FCGFCG
1-0

Polugaevsky, Lev vs Short, Nigel D

Amber-rapid 2nd

1993

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FCGFCG
0-1

Timman, Jan H vs Polugaevsky, Lev

Tilburg

1983

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FCGFCG
0-1

Feuerstein, Arthur William vs Polugaevsky, Lev

WchT U26

1957

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FCGFCG
0-1

Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ljubojevic, Ljubomir

Amber-blind 2nd

1993

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FCGFCG
1-0

Polugaevsky, Lev vs Andersen, Borge

WchT U26

1957

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FCGFCG
0-1

Franzoni, Giancarlo vs Polugaevsky, Lev

WchT

1985

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Games (1892)

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Mohrlok, Dieter vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Buesum 1969 E62
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ostojic, Predrag
1-0
Belgrade 1969 B36
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Zaitsev, Alexander N
1-0
URS-ch37 1969 E05
Taimanov, Mark E vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch37 1969 E56
Gligoric, Svetozar vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Buesum 1969 D34
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Zaitsev, Alexander N
1-0
URS-ch36 playoff-1pl 1969 D34
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Huebner, Robert
1-0
Buesum 1969 A07
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ivkov, Borislav
1-0
Belgrade 1969 B36
Zaitsev, Alexander N vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch36 playoff-1pl 1969 D13
Zaitsev, Alexander N vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Buesum 1969 A36
Kestler, Hans Guenther vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Buesum 1969 A21
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Gerusel, Mathias
1/2-1/2
Buesum 1969 A09
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Tringov, Georgi P
1/2-1/2
Belgrade 1969 E97
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Kholmov, Ratmir D
1/2-1/2
URS-ch37 1969 A29
Szily, Jozsef vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Buesum 1969 E79
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Zaitsev, Alexander N
0-1
URS-ch36 playoff-1pl 1969 C66
Suttles, Duncan vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Belgrade 1969 A00
Platonov, Igor V vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
URS-ch37 1969 B61
Savon, Vladimir A vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch37 1969 D40
Gipslis, Aivars vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
URS-ch37 1969 B53
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Szabo, Laszlo
1-0
Ludwigsburg 1969 E01
Liberzon, Vladimir M vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch37 1969 A14
Zaitsev, Alexander N vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Ludwigsburg 1969 B15
Kurajica, Bojan vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Belgrade 1969 B50
Parma, Bruno vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
JUG-URS 1969 B83
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Lengyel, Levente
1/2-1/2
Belgrade 1969 D40
Zaitsev, Alexander N vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch36 playoff-1pl 1969 D32
Hecht, Hans Joachim vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Buesum 1969 B52
Tukmakov, Vladimir B vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch37 1969 E11
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Gufeld, Eduard
1-0
URS-ch37 1969 E73
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Szabo, Laszlo
1-0
Buesum 1969 A46
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Parma, Bruno
1/2-1/2
JUG-URS 1969 D30
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Zaitsev, Alexander N
1-0
URS-ch36 playoff-1pl 1969 E08
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Lutikov, Anatoly S
1/2-1/2
URS-ch37 1969 E94
Matulovic, Milan vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Belgrade 1969 B22
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Sahovic, Dragutin
1/2-1/2
Belgrade 1969 D42
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Averkin, Orest N
1-0
URS-ch37 1969 B33
Shamkovich, Leonid vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
URS-chT 1968 A16
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Stein, Leonid
0-1
URS-chT 1968 B60
Bukic, Enver vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Skopje/Ohrid 1968 E15
Lantsias, Andreas vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Lugano ol (Men) 1968 B44
Cherepkov, Alexander V vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
URS-ch36 1968 E62
Rodriguez, Ruben vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Lugano ol (Men) 1968 E53
Parma, Bruno vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Skopje/Ohrid 1968 B42
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Wade, Robert Graham
1-0
Skopje/Ohrid 1968 A29
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Durao, Joaquim
1-0
Lugano ol (Men) 1968 A10
Hermlin, Aarne vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
URS-chT 1968 B88
Ghitescu, Theodor vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Lugano ol (Men) 1968 E11
Ilievski, Dimitar vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Skopje/Ohrid 1968 A15
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Rossetto, Hector
1-0
Lugano ol (Men) 1968 A23
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